Marwan Miller Hired as Assistant Coach

Ignatius L Hoops

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MINNEAPOLIS -- The University of Minnesota women's basketball team has hired Marwan Miller to the coaching staff as an assistant coach, head coach Lindsay Whalen announced today.

"I am excited to announce the addition of Marwan Miller to our coaching staff," head coach Lindsay Whalen said. "Marwan will represent the University of Minnesota on and off the court with a vast knowledge of the game of basketball. Marwan has helped develop several student-athletes who have earned numerous awards during his time at Ohio. He has experience coaching players to their fullest potential on both sides of the court, including when he was the offensive coordinator at St. Francis where he coached a high powered offense that produced the NEC Freshman of the Year."

In six seasons at Ohio Miller and the Bobcats finished with a record of 121-64 including a 30-win season and a 26-win season during his tenue. The team also won the 2015-16 MAC regular season title with Miller on staff. Miller helped coach one of Ohio's best women's basketball student-athletes in its history in Cece Hooks, who most recently signed a WNBA rookie free agent contract with the Minnesota Lynx. Hooks set both the Ohio program and Mid-American Conference career scoring record, and went on to finish with 2,843 points during her illustrious time in Athens. In 2020-21 Miller guided Hooks to an Honorable Mention All-America honor, Ohio's first since 1986.

"I am excited to be a part of this coaching staff and get to Minneapolis," Miller said. "I'm so thrilled to get the chance to learn more about the game from a Hall of Famer. This position is truly a dream come true for me. Now it's time to get to work!"

While at Ohio Miller and the Bobcats played in the postseason four times including making a run to the WNIT quarterfinals in 2018-19. While in Athens Miller coached a total of 16 All-MAC honorees highlighted by five MAC Defensive Player of the Year awards. Miller aided seven student-athletes to All-Defensive Team nods while also helping the team earn four All-Freshman Team spots, two Freshman of the Year awards and one Sixth Player of the Year award.

Prior to becoming a full-time assistant at Ohio Miller served as an assistant coach at Saint Francis (Pa.) in 2016-17 as an offensive coordinator. The team averaged 74.5 points per game in a fast paced system, which produced the 2016 NEC Freshman of the Year.

During the 2015 season at Ohio, Miller filled in as an assistant coach to the women's basketball team during an assistant coach's maternity leave. He was on the floor coaching as well as recruiting and scouting during the team's 2014-15 Mid-American Conference Regular Season and MAC Tournament championships.

Prior to his year at Saint Francis (Pa.), Miller served as a Director of Operations at Ohio from 2013-15. At that time he was responsible for all logistics of travel and lodging, while also planning and organizing camps.

Prior to 2013, Miller was a senior staff member for the Ohio Girls Basketball Report, where he evaluated the talent of perspective student athletes. He was also the head coach of the Ohio Glory Basketball Club from 2004-12 and worked with the OGBR Ohio Legends Exhibition team from 2004-07. Miller was the head varsity girls' basketball coach at Columbus South High School during the 2008-09 season, and assistant varsity girls' basketball coach for the 2006-07 season with the Columbus Afrocentric Early College.

Miller received his Bachelor's degree from Franklin University in 2012, and his Associate's degree from Columbus State Community College. He is a member of the Women's Basketball Coaches Association and the Adidas Top Ten All-American Selection Committee.

For more information on the Gophers, continue to check back with GopherSports.com. Keep up with the University of Minnesota women's basketball on Twitter and Instagram (@GopherWBB) and on Facebook, so you do not miss any content during the offseason
 


Miller, it appears, took the hard road to college coaching. While he was coaching the Ohio Glory Basketball Club and evaluating talent for OBGR, he was attaining his degree from Franklin University.

Franklin University according to it's web site is an online college for working adults in Columbus Ohio. He then parlayed that experience into a Director of Operations position at Ohio and eventually found a route to Dinkytown.
 




Maybe, he knows how to communicate with people from Detroit (e.g., Pitts, the Bellos, and Powell).

FWIW, the current Ohio roster is pretty local:

8 players from Ohio
2 players from Illinois
1 player each from West Virginia, Connecticut, Colorado, Utah and Russia

Cece Hooks is from Dayton and everyone on the staff is credited with her development.

And I remember noting in last season's Ohio v Gopher game preview that Ohio's associate head coach is Minnesota Crookston grad, Tavares Jackson.
 

Glad the position is filled but hard to know what he will bring to the staff ?
I'm hoping he can assume most of the head coaching duties... kinda like what Carly Dudonis tried to do, but better.
 






Recorded Thursday. Justin mentions right at the end news coming up on additional portal transfers. Did I catch that correctly? Do we know of any rumors?
 

Recorded Thursday. Justin mentions right at the end news coming up on additional portal transfers. Did I catch that correctly? Do we know of any rumors?
I listened to it and he said there will be additional portal news coming in the next week or so. He noted the interview was recorded "a few hours" after his hiring was announced. So this may have still been before the Zie or Click announcement. I think that statement may very much indicate the pending Zie and Click announcement but I hope there are 1 or 2 more. I don't want to see us fill up to our max of 14 players. I am ok with where we are at with 10 but would prefer 11 or 12 especially if we get a grad transfer or 1 year eligability player.
 

I listened to it and he said there will be additional portal news coming in the next week or so. He noted the interview was recorded "a few hours" after his hiring was announced. So this may have still been before the Zie or Click announcement. I think that statement may very much indicate the pending Zie and Click announcement but I hope there are 1 or 2 more. I don't want to see us fill up to our max of 14 players. I am ok with where we are at with 10 but would prefer 11 or 12 especially if we get a grad transfer or 1 year eligability player.
I think we need 12 to weather injuries which always seem to happen.
 



JG said portal news when talking about some news coming and neither of the last 2 commits were in the portal so theres either more coming or he misspoke.
 





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